1. Field
This invention relates to an electrical power supply system utilizing three sets of batteries and switching means for successively switching a load among the sets of batteries.
2. Prior Art
There has been considerable interest in developing alternatives to gasoline powered vehicles for reasons both of reducing air pollution and of concern for the dwindling sources of oil. Some had thought that electrical power might be developed into an attractive alternative to the gasoline engine but thus far the lack of suitable long-lived batteries has inhibited progress in this direction. Any progress in improving electrical power supplies would, of course, be beneficial in a variety of situations besides that of powering vehicles.
In my earlier U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,787, issued July 18, 1978, a power system is disclosed having a plurality of batteries for supplying direct current to a load and switching means for alternatively opening and closing the respective circuits between the load and each of the batteries to cause intermittent current flow between each of the batteries and the load serially. Successively switching the load between a plurality of batteries greatly improves the overall life of the batteries.